Aleppo offensive {October–December 2015}
Part of the Battle of Aleppo, Syrian Civil War and the Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War

Map of the frontline changes in the Aleppo Province from 16 October 2015 – 4 February 2016
  Syrian Army control
  Syrian Opposition control
  SDF control
  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant control
  Ongoing confrontation or unclear situation
Date16 October – 21 December 2015
(2 months and 5 days)
Location
Aleppo Governorate, Syria
Status Syrian government victory
Territorial
changes
  • Government forces capture 408 square kilometres (158 square miles) of territory,[1] including the area's main rebel strongholds of Al-Hader[2] and Khan Tuman,[3][4] cutting the Aleppo–Damascus highway[3][5] and leaving them in control of three-quarters of the southern Aleppo countryside[6][7][8]
  • Government forces regain control of the strategic Khanasser–Ithriya Highway from ISIL[9]
  • The rebels capture nine villages[10]
Belligerents

Syrian Arab Republic

 Iran
Iranian-backed Shi'ite Militias

Hezbollah

Russia Russian Air strikes:

SRCC

Supported by:
 Turkey
 Saudi Arabia
 Qatar
 United States

Al-Nusra Front
Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria

Caucasus Emirate[19]		 Islamic State Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (since 23 Oct.)
Commanders and leaders

Iran Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani[20][21][22]
(Supreme commander)
Maj. Gen. Saleh Abdullah[23]
(Syrian forces commander)
Iran Col. Saeed Sayyah Taheri  †[24]
(IRGC commander)
Iran Mostafa Sadrzadeh  †[15]
(Ammar Brigade leader)
Hussein Ferdai  †[25]
(senior commander of Liwa Fatemiyoun)
Muhammad al-Sa’id[26]
(Liwa Al-Quds leader)

Russia Aleksandr Dvornikov
(Commander of Russian Forces)

Russia Viktor Bondarev
(Commander of Russian Aerospace Forces)		 Hassan al-Haj Ali (Suqour al-Sham Brigade leader)
Moder Abdul Salam Hamdoun †(Thuwar al-Sham Brigades senior commander)[27]
Issa al-Turkmani
(Sultan Murad Brigade commander)[17]
Ismail Sanif †
(Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki Commander)[28]
Bashar Mqaddam †
(Kata’eb Thuwar al-Sham commander)[29]
Abdullah Al Ramla †
(Levant Front)[30]
Hassan Maakh †(Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki field commander)[31]
Uwais al-Daghestani †(Caucasus Emirate field commander)[19]
Abu Suleiman al-Masri †
(Al-Nusra Front senior commander)[32]
Faysal Shareef "Abu 'Ameer" † (Al-Nusra Front field commander)[33]
Abu Muthana Al-Midani † (Al-Nusra Front field commander)[34]
Mohammad Hamdoush †(Moroccan Brigades Commander)[35]		 Islamic State Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Islamic State Abu Nurlbagasi †
Islamic State Muhammad ibn Khayrat †
Islamic State Al-Okab †
Units involved

Syrian Army:

Syria Syrian pro-government militias

Iran IRGC

Russia

Fatah Halab:
Free Syrian Army:

Islamic Front:

 Islamic State Military of ISIL
Strength

4,000+ Shi'ite militiamen and soldiers[36][45]

  • 2,000 Iranian-backed fighters[46]
  • 1,500 Iraqi paramilitary fighters[47]
 Unknown Unknown

The Aleppo offensive (October–December 2015) was a Syrian Army large-scale strategic offensive south of Aleppo. The main objective of the operation was to secure the Azzan Mountains, while also creating a larger buffer zone around the only highway to the provincial capital controlled by the Syrian government.[48] A related objective was to establish favourable conditions for a planned offensive to isolate rebel forces in Aleppo City and to relieve the long-standing siege of a pro-government enclave in Aleppo Governorate.[49]

Iranian General Qasem Soleimani personally led the drive deep into the southern Aleppo countryside where many towns and villages were taken by government forces. The offensive was carried out by the Syrian Army's 4th Mechanized Division, Hezbollah, Harakat Al-Nujaba (Iraqi), Kata'ib Hezbollah (Iraqi), Liwaa Abu Fadl Al-Abbas (Iraqi), and Liwa Fatemiyoun (Afghan/Iranian volunteers).[20][50] The Syrian government forces' progress was attributed in large part to the Iranian leadership during the offensive.[51]

Preparations

The origins of the planning of the offensive in Aleppo could be traced back to Gen. Qasem Soleimani's visit to Moscow in July 2015. Gen. Soleimani was reportedly sent to Syria by the supreme leader of Iran himself, Ali Khamenei, in order to discuss military matters with his Russian counterparts and coordinate a joint escalation of forces in Syria.[52]

One month before the offensive south of Aleppo, the military launched another operation east of the city in an attempt to break the two-year siege of the Kuweyres military air base.

Major General Qasem Soleimani reportedly traveled from Latakia Governorate's northeastern countryside to the Al-Safeera District of southern Aleppo in order to personally oversee the first phase of the large-scale offensive in the Azzan Mountains. Soleimani did not travel alone to Aleppo – he was escorted by a large convoy of armored vehicles that were largely made up of Iraqi Shi’i militiamen; these aforementioned fighters were tasked with carrying out the planned operations around the Aleppo Governorate's countryside. Major General Suleimani traveled to Syria on the night of 12 October, to meet with the Iranian and Russian military advisors overseeing the large-scale operations around the Aleppo Governorate's rural terrain. He was joined by six other senior military officers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.[21]

The offensive

Syrian Government offensive

At 10 A.M. (Damascus Time) on the morning of 16 October, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) – in coordination with Hezbollah, the National Defense Forces (NDF), and Al-Ba'ath Battalions – launched their large-scale southern Aleppo offensive after almost one year of inactivity along this rural area in the Azzan Mountains. According to field reports from the provincial capital, the Syrian Armed Forces and Hezbollah captured four sites from the Islamist rebels of Jabhat Al-Shamiyah (Levantine Front), Harakat Ahrar Al-Sham, and the Free Syrian Army (FSA), killing a number of combatants in the process of their advance in the Aleppo Governorate's southern countryside.

On 17 October, government forces backed by Shi'ite militia captured several villages, along with the Defense Battalion Base and the farms surrounding it.[41][48] By the next day, the military was in control of five villages, while it was unclear who controlled al-Shgaydalah after a rebel-counterattack to retake it from the Army.[53][54] The counterattack was carried out by Sham Revolutionary Brigades and Division 13, the latter a CIA-funded secular group, with videos showing a TOW missile attack destroying a bulldozer and later capturing a BMP-1.[17][55]

On 19 October, government forces captured three hills.[56] The commander of the Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki rebel group was killed in the fighting during the day.[57] Since the beginning of the offensive, the Army lost at least 11 armored vehicles to TOW AT missiles, according to the SOHR.[17] More weapons and ammunition were also supplied to the FSA including mortars and TOWs according to Issa Al-Turkmani, a Sultan Murad brigade spokesman.[17] Saudi Arabia alone reportedly delivered 500 AT missiles, but another rebel spokesman said that the quantity of TOWs was inadequate for the scale of the assault, pointing out that once the missiles were distributed among the groups each ended up with just a couple of tubes, stating that they needed dozens more per group.[17][58]

On 20 October, a rebel official stated the "losses are heavy on both sides and the regime’s advance is very slow". Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people reportedly fled the southern Aleppo countryside.[59] Between 21 and 22 October, government forces took control of seven more villages.[60][61][62] By this time, government forces reportedly lost at least 15 tanks, armored vehicles and bulldozers since the offensive begun.[49]

ISIL offensives and first rebel counterattack

On 23 October, ISIL launched an attack on the Khanaser-Ethria highway (the main government supply route between Hama and Aleppo), after detonating two VBIED's, and captured 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) of a road. Subsequently, government forces recaptured some parts of it.[63] The clashes over the next 24 hours left 28 ISIL fighters and 21 soldiers dead.[64] The attack may have been designed to coincide with a rebel offensive in the Aleppo Governate in order to increase its chances of success.[65] Elsewhere, 24 rebels, including the military leader of the Thwar al-Sham battalions and a commander of the Army of Mujahedeen, were killed in the southern Aleppo countryside,[64] while a rebel spokesman claimed that SAA losses of vehicles had reached 21.[66] At the end of the day, the rebels recaptured al-Hamra village,[67] while government forces reportedly recaptured most of the Khanaser-Ethria highway.[68]

On 24 October, Army sources reported that it had recaptured the western outskirts of Ithriyah, however the main supply route to Aleppo remained cut off.[37] That day, a second leader in the Nur al-Din Zanki Movement was killed, while a rebel and NDF commander were wounded.[69] The number of government fighters killed at the Khanaser-Ethria highway rose to at least 43.[70] At the end of the day, ISIL launched an attack on the eastern suburbs of Aleppo city and captured Tal Reeman and Al-Salihiyah, before government fighters could repel their further attacks with the help of Russian airplanes.[71]

On 25 October, rebels attacked, captured and eventually lost the strategically important cement plant area on the outskirts of Aleppo's Sheikh Saeed neighborhood after heavy clashes that led to the death of 14 government fighters and 10 rebels.[72] Meanwhile, government forces reportedly recaptured two checkpoints along the Khanaser-Ethria highway, before a sandstorm forcibly halted all military operations in Aleppo.[73] According to the SOHR, ISIL was still in control of parts of the highway, blocking the main supply route to Aleppo.[72]

On 26 October, ISIL re-attacked the Khanaser-Ethria highway and captured a checkpoint, killing eight government fighters. Meanwhile, rebels recaptured Tell Hamiriyyeh hill and the Khalsa farms in the southern Aleppo countryside.[74] The next day, ISIL also attacked the strategical town of As-Safira in southeastern Aleppo after detonating four VBIED's in the area. ISIL captured "key" military positions near the town and managed to enter Tel Aran.[75] ISIL also managed to enter the northern district of As-Safira, but were pushed out with the help of reinforcements.[76][77] Later that day, government forces regained their positions in the al-Safira area.[78]

On 28 October, Russian airstrikes bombed a rebel headquarters in the Aleppo countryside and killed at least 7 rebels.[78]

Renewed Syrian government advance

On 30 October, Syrian government forces recaptured the Tal Ithriya hill near the Khanaser–Ethria highway[79][80] and repelled ISIL at Sheikh Hilal and Al-Sa’an.[80] According to the same sources, the SAA also conducted an operation near the town of Khan Touman and captured farms located between the towns of Khan Touman and Qarassi in southern Aleppo.[81] Between 31 October and 2 November, the SAA and its allies captured six villages in the southern countryside of Aleppo, as the rebels withdrew to their stronghold at Al-Hadher. A rebel counter-attack was reportedly unsuccessful.[82][83][84][85]

On 2 November, ISIL captured the village of Ta’anah and its hill from Syrian troops,[86] while the rebels reportedly recaptured "wide parts" of Jabal al-Banjira.[87] The next day, government forces recaptured Al-Ta’anah.[88]

Wider strategic view, including the North–western Syria offensive.

On 4 November, government troops regained control over the Khanasser–Ithriya Highway after twelve days of clashes with ISIL, killing seven fighters, four through beheading.[89][9] While retreating towards al-Tabbaqa, a huge ISIS convoy was reportedly struck by Russian aircraft killing more than 50 militants in the airstrike.

On 5 November, rebels recaptured two villages but despite this, the Army captured the town of Kafr Haddad.[90][91][92]

On 8 November, government forces captured three villages positioned directly south of Al-Hadhir, two of which the rebels retook the next day.[93][94] The SAA re-took one of them on 10 November,[95] as well as a further three.[96][97]

By the end of 11 November, the rebels recaptured several areas,[98][99] but the military continued its advances on 12 November with the capture of five more villages,[100][101][102][103] as well as the key rebel town of Al-Hader.[2][104]

On 13 November, government forces captured four villages and a hill, thus taking control of 341 km2 (132 sq mi) of territory.[5][105][106] By the end of the day, they broke through to the west, capturing two villages and the ICARDA base, adjacent to the Idlib–Aleppo highway, cutting the road.[107][108][109][110][111][112][113]

On 17 November, government forces captured Khalasah (known as Halash), after they advance from the nearby village Al-Hamraa.[114] On the next day, rebels recaptured the Banes farms.[115][116]

On 20 November, government troops captured Burj Al-Rumman and advanced to the village of Al-‘Umariyah, to the south-west of Al-Safira.[117] At this point, the military halted their offensive, in expectation of the arrival of new T-90 tanks, which would come by the end of the month.[118]

Second rebel counterattack

On 21 November, rebels launched a counter-offensive at Tal al-Eiss,[119] By 23 November, the rebels recaptured seven villages and two hills.[10] Al-Nusra seized a number of US-made Humvees from Shia militia near Tal Mamou.[120]

On 28 November, the rebels recaptured al-Maryoudah village.[121] However, by 29 November, the rebel assault on the southern perimeter of the village Al-Aziziyah failed from their positions at village Al-Makalah, and they withdrew to the south in order to evade air assaults from the Russian and Syrian Air Forces.[122][123]

Syrian Army captures Khan Touman

Between 3 and 7 December, Syrian government forces recaptured three villages and two hills.[124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131]

On 8 December, the rebels recaptured the village of Banes,[132][133] the same day that government sources announced a third phase of the Southern Aleppo Offensive.[134]

Between 12 and 13 December, government forces captured up to seven villages.[135][136][137][138][139]

On 20 December, the Syrian Army captured the strategic town of Khan Tuman, as well as two nearby villages, several hills and the Khan Touman Ammunition Depot, along the Aleppo-Damascus Highway (M-5 Highway), cutting the primary rebel supply route from the provincial capital of the Idlib province toward the provincial capital of the Aleppo province.[3][4][140][141][142] The Al-Zarbeh Poultry Farm was also seized.[143] On the next day, government forces advanced further around Khan Tuman, taking control of two villages and two hills.[144][145][146][147][148]

Aftermath

On 11 January 2016, Syrian government forces launched an assault on the town of Al-Rashiddeen, to the southwest of Aleppo city, while also reportedly capturing two villages in Aleppo's southern countryside.[149] On 28 January, they also seized the village of Blouzah.[150]

On 3 February, the rebels recaptured the village of Al-Khalidiyah, near Khan Touman, thus reopening their supply line via the Aleppo-Damascus Highway (M-5 Highway).[151] However, it was reported government troops recaptured Al-Khalidiyah three days later.[152]

Strategic analysis

Christopher Kozak of the Institute for the Study of War speculated that the assault was nothing more than a diversionary tactic intended to move rebel forces away from reopening the access to the Shi'ite towns of Nubl and al-Zahraa and cut the Aleppo–Turkey highway, their primary objective in his opinion.[49] The Syrian Army eventually launched an offensive in Northern Aleppo on 1 February 2016 and broke the three-year siege of the two towns, effectively cutting the Aleppo–Turkey supply route.[153]

Hezbollah's main incentive in participating in the offensive is believed to be similar to their agenda elsewhere, securing Shi'ite villages. Their ultimate objective is believed to be reaching the villages of Kafriya and Al-Fu'ah, thus lifting the siege imposed by Al-Nusra Front.[154]

With reportedly hundreds of square kilometers brought under government control within the span of the first month of the offensive, Al-Masdar concluded that the overall effectiveness of both the senior Iranian revolutionary guards on the ground as well as the close Russian air-support have been noted as part of the main array of factors leading to a revitalized advance by government forces.[155][156]

The son of Abdullah Azzam, Huthaifa Azzam, demanded mobilization for Aleppo.[157]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Leith Fadel (14 November 2015). "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture 408 Square Kilometers of Territory in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Syria army takes key rebel town south of Aleppo: military source". The Daily Star. 12 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Leith Fadel (20 December 2015). "Hezbollah, Syrian Army cutoff the Aleppo-Damascus Highway after seizing Khan Touman in southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  4. 1 2 jack (20 December 2015). "Regime forces and Hezbollah take control on Khan Toman strategic town". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  5. 1 2 Leith Fadel. "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Several Villages in Southern Aleppo En Route to Cutting Off the M-5 Highway". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 5 February 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  6. ↑ Paul Antonopoulos (21 December 2015). "Syrian army cut Damascus-Aleppo highway". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  7. ↑ Hala Jaber [@HalaJaber] (21 December 2015). ".2/ #SAA now controls 3/4 of #Aleppo's southern Reef" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 December 2015 – via Twitter.
  8. 1 2 Leith Fadel (22 December 2015). "Hezbollah, Syrian Army control 3/4 of southern Aleppo after completing phase 2 of the offensive". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Syrian army regains control of Aleppo supply route". The Daily Star Newspaper – Lebanon.
  10. 1 2 Leith Fadel. "Islamist Rebels Capture Several Sites in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  11. 1 2 Leith Fadel (19 October 2015). "Two Brigades of Kata'eb Hezbollah Arrive in Aleppo Amid the Presence of General Suleimani". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  12. ↑ Leith Fadel (26 October 2015). "More Iraqi Paramilitary Arrive in Aleppo Under Orders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  13. ↑ Leith Fadel (2 November 2015). "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Make Huge Gains in Southern Aleppo: Military Operations Begin in Al-Hadher". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  14. ↑ Leith Fadel (25 December 2015). "Hezbollah and Iraqi reinforcements arrive in southern Aleppo to begin the march to Idlib". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  15. 1 2 Iran in Syrian war [@warreports] (24 October 2015). "Iranian #IRGC "Mostafa Sadrzadeh", Head of Ammar brigade(Afghan fighters) killed yesterday in Syria,Aleppo" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 October 2015 – via Twitter.
  16. ↑ Aaron Y. Zelin (30 October 2015). "The Archivist: 'Go Forth, Lightly and Heavily Armed': New Mobilization Calls By the Islamic State in Aleppo Province". Jihadology. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Syrian rebels say they receive more weapons for Aleppo battle". Reuters. 19 October 2015.
  18. ↑ Edward (29 January 2016). "Nur al-Din Zanki movement hand over its positions to other factions and more casualties in areas controlled by the regime forces in Aleppo and casualties for the regime forces in the countryside". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights.
  19. 1 2 "Hezbollah and the Syrian Army Capture Several Sites in Southern Aleppo; Dagestani Emir Killed". Al Masdar News. 23 October 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  20. 1 2 Leith Fadel (11 November 2015). "Where is Major General Qassem Suleimani?". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  21. 1 2 Leith Fadel (16 October 2015). "General Suleimani Oversees the Large-Scale Offensive in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  22. ↑ Rawnsley, Adam (13 November 2015). "Inside Iran's Secret War in Syria". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  23. ↑ Leith Aboufadel [@leithfadel] (21 October 2015). "General Saleh 'Abdullah – the commander of the Syrian Arab Army in Aleppo" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 October 2015 – via Twitter.
  24. ↑ Iran in Syrian war [@warreports] (14 January 2016). "Iranian #IRGC Colonel Saeed Sayyah Taheri killed in southern Aleppo,Syria. ( pic:with Brig General Hamedani)" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 October 2015 – via Twitter.
  25. ↑ "Senior Iranian commander killed in Syrias Aleppo". DailySabah. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  26. ↑ "Syria Comment » Archives Overview of some pro-Assad Militias – Syria Comment". Syria Comment. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "Airstrikes target the countryside of al- Hasakah, while a commander in a rebel battalion killed in Aleppo". 17 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  28. ↑ "Syrian troops advance toward air base besieged by IS – US News". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  29. ↑ Master (19 October 2015). "2 commanders killed in the ongoing clashes in the southern countryside of Alappo". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights.
  30. ↑ "F1ea1337". Twitter. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  31. ↑ Jack. "استشهاد القائد العسكري لحركة نور الدين الزنكي في المعارك المتواصلة بريف حلب الجنوبي". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  32. ↑ Charles Lister [@Charles_Lister] (24 October 2015). "Senior Egyptian Jabhat al-Nusra (AQ) commander Abu Suleiman al-Masri has been killed sighting in southern #Aleppo:" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 November 2015 – via Twitter.
  33. ↑ Leith Fadel (7 November 2015). "Syrian Army Kills the Lead Field Commander of Al-Nusra in Southern Aleppo Amid the Capture of Kafr Haddad". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  34. ↑ Leith Fadel (28 December 2015). "Top Al-Qaeda field commander killed in northern Aleppo by the Syrian Army". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  35. ↑ Leith Fadel (8 November 2015). "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Talaylat in Southern Aleppo; Moroccan Field Commander Killed". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  36. 1 2 3 4 Leith Fadel (7 December 2015). "Massive Wave of Syrian Army Reinforcements to Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  37. 1 2 3 Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army Reopens the Ithriyah-Salamiyah Road in East Hama After Defeating ISIS". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  38. ↑ "Meet the LDF, Syria's new faction operating in Aleppo". Syria Report. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  39. ↑ News Desk (30 November 2015). "Hundreds of Syrian volunteers backed by Iraq and Iran, take the lead for #Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  40. ↑ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (23 May 2016). "The Local Defence Forces: Regime Auxiliary Forces in Aleppo". Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  41. 1 2 Leith Fadel (17 October 2015). "News Alert: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Advance to Al-Shughaydilah in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 February 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  42. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20161230063624/http://www.businessinsider.com/new-photos-suggest-russias-operation-in-syria-stretches-well-beyond-its-air-campaign-2015-11 |date=30 Oct 2019
  43. ↑ archicivilians [@archicivilians] (31 March 2016). "InfoGraphic: Sultan Murad Division - #FSA (#Syria Opposition)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  44. ↑ "Syrian Civil War factions". Google Docs.
  45. ↑ "What the Aleppo offensive hides". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 19 July 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  46. ↑ This Is How Iran Just Raised the Stakes in Syria The National Interest
  47. ↑ Leith Fadel (20 December 2015). "Massive northern Aleppo offensive set to begin soon as Iraqi volunteers pour into the province". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  48. 1 2 Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Launch Their Southern Aleppo Offensive – 4 Sites Captured". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  49. 1 2 3 "This map shows the intensifying battle for Syria's largest city before the war". Business Insider. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  50. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Reports of General Qassem Suleimani Being Severely Wounded in Southern Aleppo Prove False". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 29 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  51. ↑ "Can Syrian opposition defend both Hama and Aleppo at the same time? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  52. ↑ "How Iranian general plotted out Syrian assault in Moscow". Reuters. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  53. ↑ Master (18 October 2015). "The violent clashes continue in the southern countryside of Aleppo, and the regime forces advance in the area again". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights.
  54. ↑ "About 60 victims killed during the regime forces' advancement in the southern countryside of Aleppo". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 18 October 2015.
  55. ↑ Syria – FSA Division 13 aftermath of SAA bulldozer hit with BGM-71 TOW near Atbin, Hama 17/10. YouTube. 18 October 2015.
  56. ↑ Edward (19 October 2015). "The regime forces advance again in the southern countryside of Aleppo and take control of 3 hills". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights.
  57. ↑ "Syrian troops advance toward air base besieged by IS". U.S. News & World Report.
  58. ↑ "CIA-supplied anti-tank missiles turned Syria into a 'proxy war by happenstance'". Business Insider. 13 October 2015.
  59. ↑ "Russia Makes an Impact in Syrian Battle for Control of Aleppo". The New York Times. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  60. ↑ Edward (21 October 2015). "The regime forces advance again and take control of villages in the southern and eastern countryside of Aleppo". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  61. ↑ Leith Fadel (21 October 2015). "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Three Villages in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 24 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  62. ↑ Leith Fadel (22 October 2015). "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Make Massive Gains in Southern Aleppo: Rebel Defenses Collapse". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  63. ↑ jack. "Violent clashes killed no less than 40 militants in Aleppo countryside". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  64. 1 2 Master (24 October 2015). "More than 90 IS militants, rebels and personnel in the regime forces killed in the violent clashes in the countryside of both Aleppo and Hama". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  65. ↑ IUCA [@IUCAnalysts] (23 October 2015). "#Syria #Map Strategic Hama – Aleppo loyalist supply road cut by simultaneous attacks from Rebels and IS" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 October 2015 – via Twitter.
  66. ↑ "American TOW Missiles Are A Game Changer Against Assad". Archived from the original on 28 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  67. ↑ Edward (23 October 2015). "Continuous clashes on the road between Khanasser–Atharayya and booby trapped vehicle in the vicinity of Kweris airbase". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  68. ↑ Leith Fadel (24 October 2015). "ISIS and Jabhat Al-Nusra Threaten the Syrian Army's Main Supply Route to Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  69. ↑ Edward (24 October 2015). "Leader in Nur al-Din Zanki Movement die in Aleppo's battels and attempt to assassinate the commander of Ajnad al-Sham". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  70. ↑ Master. "More than 43 regime's soldiers and pro-regime militiamen killed in clashes on Khanser – Aathrayya road the last 48 hours". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  71. ↑ Leith Fadel. "ISIS Launches Wide-Scale Offensive in East Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  72. 1 2 "At least 14 NDF militiamen killed in an explosion on al- Ramosah road, and the regime forces retake the cement plant". 25 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  73. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Syrian Army Recovers Several Points from ISIS Amid the Sandstorm Engulfing East Hama". Al-Masdar news. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  74. ↑ Edward (27 October 2015). "The "Islamic State" starts new attack on Khanasser–Athrayya road, control a checkpoint and kill 8 regime members". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights.
  75. ↑ "ISIS advances in eastern Aleppo after clashes with Syrian forces". ARA News. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  76. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Massive ISIS Offensive in East Aleppo Stalls as the Syrian Army Completely Recovers Al-Safira". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  77. ↑ Elijah J. Magnier [@ejmalrai] (27 October 2015). "#SAA repelled the attack on Sfeiyra despite #ISIS huge attack today" (Tweet). Retrieved 1 November 2015 – via Twitter.
  78. 1 2 Edward (28 October 2015). "Russian airstrikes target a headquarter and kill 2 fighters in northern countryside of Aleppo and the clashes continue". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  79. ↑ Master (30 October 2015). "The regime forces advance in the eastern countryside of Hama, and warplanes hit al- Hara area in Daraa". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  80. 1 2 Leith Fadel. "Hezbollah and the Syrian Army Capture Tal Ithriyah: ISIS Controls 1 km of Highway in East Hama". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  81. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Advance to Khan Touman in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  82. ↑ jack (November 2015). "Human losses in IS and regime forces during clashes in Aleppo". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights.
  83. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Jamaymah and Maryameen in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  84. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Continue to Roll in Southern Aleppo: 2 more Villages Captured". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  85. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Make Huge Gains in Southern Aleppo: Military Operations Begin in Al-Hadher". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  86. ↑ Master (2 November 2015). "Violent clashes take place in the countryside of Aleppo, while warplanes attack the village of Harbel". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights.
  87. ↑ Master (2 November 2015). "The rebel and Islamist factions re-advance in al- Banjira in the southern countryside of Aleppo, and intense airstrikes carried out on the eastern countryside". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights.
  88. ↑ Leith Fadel. "ISIS Storms Tal 'Arn in East Aleppo While the Syrian Army Recaptures Al-Ta'anah in the North". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  89. ↑ Edward (4 November 2015). "The regime forces kill 7 ISIS members and behead 4 of them in Khanasser-Athrayya road". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights.
  90. ↑ "Syrian rebels seize town in west in blow to government". Reuters. 5 November 2015.
  91. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Kafr Haddad in Northeastern Idlib". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  92. ↑ Edward (7 November 2015). "Clashes continue in the southern countryside of Aleppo and airstrikes on the city and northern countryside". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  93. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Tal Mamou and 'Aziziyah in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  94. ↑ jack (9 November 2015). "Clashes continue in Aleppo between IS and regime forces". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  95. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Flank the Rebel Stronghold of Al-Hadher in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  96. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Makahlah in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  97. ↑ Master (10 November 2015). "The regime forces advance in the southern countryside of Aleppo, and clashes take place in the south-east of Homs". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  98. ↑ Master (10 November 2015). "The violent clashes continue in the vicinity of Kwayres airbase, while the factions advance in the southern countryside of Aleppo". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  99. ↑ Master (11 November 2015). "The factions continue to advance in the southern countryside of Aleppo". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  100. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture 2 Villages in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  101. ↑ Edward (13 November 2015). "Destroying armored vehicle for the regime forces in a counter attack by the factions in the southern countryside of Aleppo and clashes in the eastern countryside of Aleppo". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  102. ↑ edward. "حزب الله اللبناني وقوات النظام يسيطران على بلدة العيس ويبسطان سيطرة نارية على ريف حلب الجنوبي ومعارك مستمرة قرب مطار كويرس". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان.
  103. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Sweep Through Southern Aleppo: Islamist Rebels Suffer Massive Defeat". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  104. ↑ "Timeline Photos - وكالة قاسيون للأنباء - Qasion News Agency – Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  105. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Islamist Rebel Defenses Collapsing in Southern Aleppo: Two More Villages Captured by the Syrian Army and Hezbollah". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  106. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Officially Capture the Strategic Town of Jabal Al-Eiss in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  107. ↑ "Syrian army captures village in Aleppo province: Monitor, state TV". Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  108. ↑ "Syrian army captures village in Aleppo province: monitor, state TV". Yahoo News. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  109. ↑ khaled. "قصف مكثف على ريف حلب الجنوبي ومعارك عنيفة تشهدها المنطقة". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  110. ↑ "#حلب قوات الأسد تسيطر على قرى #بانص و... - لجان التنسيق المحلية في سوريا - Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  111. ↑ Master. "Intense shelling on the southern countryside of Aleppo, while violent clashes erupt in the area". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  112. ↑ Master. "The regime forces continue to advance towards the northeastern countryside of Idlib and the southeastern countryside of Aleppo seizing new areas". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  113. ↑ edward. "قوات النظام تستمر في تقدمها باتجاه ريف إدلب الشمالي الشرقي وريف حلب الجنوبي الشرقي وتسيطر على مزيد من المناطق". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  114. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Halash in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  115. ↑ Edward. "Unidentified people kill the commander of an Islamic Brigade at the outskirts of Aleppo city and clashes in the southern countryside". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  116. ↑ "Rebel factions to regain new military points of the southern countryside in Aleppo". Eldorar Alshamia. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  117. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture the Village of Burj Al-Rouman in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  118. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Russian Advanced T-90 Tanks Arrive in Southern Aleppo to Resume the Syrian Army Offensive". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 1 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  119. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Islamist Rebels Launch Counter-Offensive at Tal Al-Eiss in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  120. ↑ "Al Nusrah Front fights Iraqi militia in Aleppo". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  121. ↑ Edward. "The regime forces regain control of two villages in the eastern countryside of Aleppo and dozens wounded in bombing by the factions on Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood". Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  122. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Over 50 Islamist Rebels Killed in the Failed Bid to Capture Al-Aziziyah in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  123. ↑ edward. "25 شهيداً وجريحاً عل الأقل في قصف للفصائل على أحياء بمدينة حلب وخسائر بشرية في اشتباكات بمحيط كشتعار". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  124. ↑ Jack. "معارك عنيفة في ريف حلب الجنوبي وعشرات الضربات الجوية تستهدف مدينة تدمر". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  125. ↑ Elijah J. Magnier [@ejmalrai] (3 December 2015). "#BreakingNews: #SAA #Hezbollah #IRGC #Iraq forces take control of Jabal al-Arba'een in reef Aleppo and Tal al-Bak'kar" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 December 2015 – via Twitter.
  126. ↑ "#حلب قوات الأسد تستعيد السيطره على... - لجان التنسيق المحلية في سوريا - Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  127. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Hezbollah and T-90 Tanks Propel the Syrian Army in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  128. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Hezbollah and the Syrian Army Capture Baradah Village in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  129. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Breaking: Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture 2 Villages in Southern Aleppo Amid the Arrival of Reinforcements". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  130. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Seize Khalsah in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  131. ↑ Aleppo24 [@24Aleppo] (7 December 2015). "بعد سيطرتها على قرى الحمراء وخلصة وزيتان بريف #حلب الجنوبي، قوات #الأسد تحاول ان تتقدم بمحيط بلدة الزربة وسط قصف جوي وصاروخي عنيف #Aleppo24" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 December 2015 – via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  132. ↑ edward. "اشتباكات عنيفة في عدة محاور بريف حلب الجنوبي وقوات النظام تحاول السيطرة على بلدة الزربة". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  133. ↑ Hezbollah Leads the Way in Southern Aleppo as Jaysh Al-Fateh Struggles to Maintain Ground Archived 11 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Almasdar.com, 9 December 2015
  134. ↑ Leith Fadel. "3rd Phase of the Southern Aleppo Offensive Begins: Aleppo-Damascus Highway is the Objective". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  135. ↑ Leith Fadel. "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture 3 Villages in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  136. ↑ تقدم لقوات النظام في قرى بريف حلب الجنوبي وغارات على ريفيها الغربي والشمالي
  137. ↑ "#سوريا #حلب نشرت مصادر خرائط ميدانية... - المركز السوري للتوثيق - Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  138. ↑ "اختصاصی/". Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  139. ↑ "Jabhat Al-Nusra Captures Banes in Southern Aleppo Amid the Hezbollah Advance at Khan Touman". Al-Masdar News. 15 December 2015. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  140. ↑ khaled (20 December 2015). "قوات النظام تتقدم نحو مستودعات خان طومان بريف حلب الجنوبي و40 غارة على الأقل تستهدف المنطقة مع اشتباكات عنيفة ومتواصلة". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان.
  141. ↑ Leith Fadel (20 December 2015). "Breaking: Syrian Army, Hezbollah capture the strategic village of Al-Qarassi in southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  142. ↑ Leith Fadel (21 December 2015). "T-90 tanks help propel Hezbollah and the Syrian Army in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  143. ↑ edward (20 December 2015). "نحو 20 شهيداً وجريحاً في قصف لطائرات حربية على ريف حلب ولواء أحرار سوريا يرفض اتفاقات غرف العمليات مع جيش الثوار والوحدات الكردية". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  144. ↑ "/اختصاصی فارس/". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  145. ↑ khaled (21 December 2015). "استشهاد 3 شقيقات في قذائف استهدفت شارع النيل بمدينة حلب وشهداء وجرحى في قصف جوي على عدة أحياء فيها وتقدم لقوات النظام بريفها الجنوبي". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  146. ↑ "Agathocle de Syracuse". Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  147. ↑ edward (21 December 2015). "قوات النظام تتقدم مجدداً وتسيطر على منطقة جديدة في ريف حلب الجنوبي". المرصد السورى لحقوق الإنسان. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  148. ↑ Hala Jaber [@HalaJaber] (21 December 2015). ".3/ Reports that #SAA & #Hezbollah allies have retaken strategic #al_Ajami hill in south #Aleppo Reef after #Khan_Touman" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 December 2015 – via Twitter.
  149. ↑ Leith Fadel (11 January 2016). "Syrian Army advances in southern and western Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  150. ↑ Leith Fadel (28 January 2016). "Syrian Army captures Balouzah in southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  151. ↑ Leith Fadel (4 February 2016). "Islamist rebels reopen southern Aleppo supply line after seizing Al-Khalidiyah". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  152. ↑ Leith Fadel (7 February 2016). "Syrian Army recaptures Al-Khalidiyah in southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  153. ↑ "Syrian army encircles Aleppo as ceasefire talks fade". Al Jazeera.
  154. ↑ Leith Fadel (17 November 2015). "Hezbollah Determined to Reach Al-Fou'aa and Kafraya in Idlib: 17 km to go". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  155. ↑ Leith Fadel (3 November 2015). "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Capture Over 210 km of Territory in Southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  156. ↑ Leith Fadel (8 December 2015). "Syrian Army and Hezbollah Advance in Southern Aleppo as the Islamist Rebels Struggle to Halt the Onslaught". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  157. ↑ د.حذيفة عبدالله عزام [@AzzamHuthaifa] (1 November 2015). "10-ونجمع الجهود ونحشد للحفاظ على حلب من السقوط وقد حشد العدو لها من كل حدب وصوب وكنا ندعو الله لهم بين يوفقهم وينصرهم في معركة حماة لم نجد" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.